An election that never was

The election of the Nigerian Universities Accounting Students Association (NUASA), University of Calabar (UNICAL) chapter, ended in a fiasco when a student was caught for alleged multiple voting. STANLEY UCHEGBU (Accountancy) reports.

Probity and accountability are values students of Accounting should promote. But the University of Calabar (UNICAL) chapter of the Nigerian Universities Accounting Students Association (NUASA) election fell short of these values.

The manipulation of the exercise led alleged to its abrupt end, almost immediately after it started. The election was held at the 25,000-capacity Hogan Bassey Pavilion.

The exercise started peacefully. The accreditation of voters was smooth.

Before the day of the election, candidates ran elaborate campaigns to woo their colleagues. There was also a manifesto day, where the aspirants explained their programmes for students.

On the election day, students besieged the pavilion. The election monitor team included officials of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) led by the president, Bassey Eka. Faculty of Management Students’ Association (FAMSA) president John Eso and members of the association were also there to observe the exercise.

After accreditation, the election started at 3pm and went on smoothly until a student came to vote.

The student was seen dropping more than one ballot papers into the ballot box. A poll agent, who saw him, drew the attention of the electoral umpire to the development.

When he noticed he had been caught, the student, it was gathered, took to his heels; many students ran after him. This resulted in chaos and some students took advantage of the situation to stuff the ballot boxes with unauthorised ballot papers. Some went away with some ballot boxes.

Students alleged that there was an attempt to rig the election in favour of a candidate. They demanded cancellation of the election.

Addressing the aggrieved students, the chairman of NUASA Board of Trustees, Blaise Akpan, described the development as disturbing, wondering why students would engage in a “daylight malpractice”.

The culprits, he said, would be identified and brought to book. Akpan, who is a graduate of the university, added that any candidate indicted by investigation would be recommended for disqualification.

A candidate, who pleaded anonymity, fingered a staff adviser in the Accounting Department as being behind the manipulation. The staff, it was alleged, demanded certain royalty from all the aspirants before they could be allowed to contest in the election.

A 300-Level student, who did not give his name, said the process that led to the election was riddled with corruption, noting that all the aspirants were asked to pay endorsement fees by members of the Board of Trustees.

He said: “Apart from introducing ethnic politics into the process, the BOT extorted money from the aspirants. They were asked to give endorsement fee to BOT members and bottle of wine. I don’t know what these graduates are still doing in school.”